


Because We Can

by Jkit45



Series: Nuggets of Space Adventure [3]
Category: Mass Effect: Andromeda
Genre: Cora Harper is my favorite go read initiation right now, Cora deserves love, Cora is exploring her sexuality, Drabbles, F/F, Friends with benefits get feelings, Fuzzy Feelings, Graphically not canon, Janae Novel Asari, Plot What Plot, Porn Without Plot, Porn with Feelings, but they're just friends, so they say, wlw
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-01
Updated: 2018-09-19
Packaged: 2019-04-30 20:24:26
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,887
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14504790
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jkit45/pseuds/Jkit45
Summary: Cora and her asari friend, Janae, decide to blow off some steam together.Chapter 5: Cora is having a rough night.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Heliantheia](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Heliantheia/gifts).



I’m just gonna leave this here…NSFW

Some CoraxJanae smut because after I read the novel this had to happen in my brain. Yes I know it’s expressly not canon. Porn without plot. In which Cora realizes she might be a little into asari after all.

After a few drinks at Vortex she and Janae decide to explore.

CW: alcohol

Have fun.

Goodbye.

 

(This may or may not become a series of Cora x Janae one shots because I have no life)

____

              “You have pretty eyes.” Janae set her hand upon Cora’s thigh. It startled her from zoning out, staring at a rag discarded upon the sink behind the bar. Vortex wasn’t the best place for a night catching up with the friend she thought she’d left in the Milky Way, but Andromeda didn’t exactly have a lot of options when it came to that.

              Janae had boarded the asari ark in the final hours before leaving, ordered by one of their mentors from the commando unit. ‘Something happened in the Milky Way. I don’t know anymore’, was the only information Cora got. And that was where they left the conversation. She’d mercifully slept in cyro through the incident with the kett aboard the ark.

              Cora sipped the sweet wine. It was strong—made with some _Nexus_ fruit byproducts which she tried not to think too hard about. Alcohol was alcohol and this far from their home galaxy they took what they could get. Besides, Janae liked it. Similar to asari wine. Though, Cora found how viscous the drink was a little off-putting.

              Janae’s hand remained on her knee, squeezing and affectionately shaking her leg. Cora relaxed her joints to let her, “Back at you.” She smiled, folding her hands on the bar. But Janae didn’t let go, she scooted her barstool closer, touching her thigh against Cora’s. Maybe it was the buzz or just the comfort of having physical contact after going so long without, but Cora didn’t mind it.

              Normally asari liked their physical space, though her and Janae’s friendship long since moved beyond that. Be it leaning back to back while on their watch shift or the time when Janae went to sleep against her arm after spending three days hiking through jungles on a goddessforsaken moon chasing a lead for a weapons broker which didn’t pan out. Cora gave up insisting they weren’t an item after that—though they very much were not—their sisters in arms never seemed to accept such information.

              “We could…do something.” Janae said. This time her hand slid a little further up Cora’s leg. She stiffened at the feeling and Janae quickly withdrew, pulling her leg from Cora’s, “If you wanted, of course. I know you…You aren’t.” She stopped, clearing her throat.

              Cora smiled, glad for the dim light as heat crept up her neck. Something twisted in her belly, and she did her best to ignore it, “I guess I’m…” How to word this? It was certainly a foray into new territory which she hadn’t considered until recently.           

              There weren’t a whole lot people who Cora would consider a worthy partner in Andromeda, even if it were ‘just to whack one out’ as Sara Ryder so elegantly advised her in the galley a few nights prior between bites of dinner, all while making a lewd hand gesture. Cora shoved that memory away as fast as it crept up, “Guess I’m…not opposed.” She settled on saying.

              Janae glanced up. Cora tried to give her a smile but the warmth in her face turned hot and she looked at the bar and they had a few moments of awkward silence pass. _Fuck this wine._ But Cora reached for it anyway, “No?” 

              “Uh…no.” Cora’s voice cracked with the drink burning down her throat. _Suave, Harper._ A few moments for her rushing thoughts to collect themselves and rationality to return to the speaking part of her brain, “But you’re…You’re my friend and I don’t want things to get uncomfortable.” 

              “Then we won’t make them uncomfortable.”

              That. That was a good answer. Cora raised her eyebrows. The twisting in her belly traveled downwards, rushing between her legs. Janae was, well, she was an asari. Beautiful and lithe and all of those things that her species was. Asari didn’t see themselves technically as gendered but Janae personally presented with femininity and she’d never…really considered being with a woman.

              But this was Janae, and Janae and her were close enough friends that they could be in each other’s space without it being uncomfortable. So why couldn’t they get _further_ into each other’s space? _Pants. You mean._

              “Right. Of course.” Cora answered, “So what is this? Friends…Helping each other out?” Okay, that sounded dumber than just about anything she’d ever said in her life.

“Wait, you’re serious?”

“Are you?”

“Yes.” Janae said, “It’s been, what, almost six and a half centuries? You said you haven’t had anyone when I asked you a few minutes ago.”

“I don’t.”

“I know it’s…different for humans…years are…different.”

“Less time.”  Cora nodded along. “So we do this and then….and then…we still are friends?” Cora wasn’t opposed to casual sex. Everyone had their needs, but it was better to have it spelled out before they started. Especially considering that Janae had been romantically interested at one point.

“Of course. We won’t let it change anything. It’s nice to have you near. Whether or not we’re doing other things as well.” Janae returned her hand to Cora’s leg. Her touch made Cora twitch again, she pressed her thighs together in an effort to quell the throbbing between them. Too much throbbing for how small Janae’s touches were. A harder squeeze on Cora’s thigh and she couldn’t stop herself from twitching. Janae smirked sideways at her.

“Agreed. I missed you.” Cora told her, Janae’s fingers walked up to her waist. She slid her own hand up, resting it on the small of Janae’s back, “I…don’t…I don’t.” As she looked for words Janae removed her hand again, looking intently at her. Cora forced her rushing brain to slow once more.

“Sorry to bring it up. We don’t have to—”

“I want to. Fuck. Yeah. Let’s do it. I’m in if you’re in.” Cora decided, “You know…you’re my first…right?”

“First asari?” Another sideways smirk.

“Yes.” She wasn’t normally this awkward. She’d had plenty of shore leave dates and normally considered herself decent in this arena, “And…uh…woman.”

Janae’s silence returned, leaving Cora in a painful several seconds wondering if she’d said something wrong, “I’ll go easy on you. My place or the _Tempest?”_         

“If we go on the _Tempest_ everyone is going to know.”

“Is that a bad thing?”

“No. But have you met Ryder?”

“I haven’t. But her girlfriend: the turian. She wouldn’t give a rip.”  

“That’s Vetra.” Janae was right— Vetra wouldn’t care. And Vetra was probably the only one of Cora’s crew mates that would _actually_ respect what they were doing. She shoved away any thoughts of possible Jaal and Liam and Ryder interruptions before they completely wrecked her libido.

“Your place. We won’t get bothered.” She slid off the stool, Janae followed her.

They hardly made it past the dancefloor by the time Janae pressed her hands against Cora’s chest, their hips brushing. Cora let Janae back her up until she rested against the cool, smooth wall. Lights flashing, bass of the music rattling up her legs. Blaring to the point where she could hardly hear herself think. But she didn’t have to. She gripped Janae’s shirt while she leaned in, pressing her lips to Cora’s.

The two pulled apart briefly, touching noses. Cora smiled at Janae’s giggle before leaning in again. This time Janae’s hands were in her hair. She had her body against Janae’s, flicking her tongue over her lips. If they were going to fool around: might as well get down to it.

Janae made a satisfied hum and opened her mouth, Cora rolled her tongue against Janae’s. She’d never kissed an asari, she realized offhandedly, but they were similar enough to humans in their mouth structures that it was hardly different. She tasted the sweet tanginess of the wine on her. Janae tugged her hair lightly, and Cora gasped. The pulse from the speakers kept rattling up her legs. This might have been her first asari kiss but Cora doubted it was Janae’s first human one.

Their kiss broke again as an inebriated human couple jived into the two. Cora wrapped her arm around Janae’s waist, keeping them against each other, and Janae eagerly leaned into the embrace, _“Let’s get out of here!”_ Janae shouted in her ear, punctuating the statement with a nip against Cora’s jaw.

Despite the arrangement of being merely friends with benefits, the two staggered out the door like laughing school kids, hands clasped together. Cora didn’t mind. It had been a long time since she’d felt like this—uninhibited enjoyment. Even if it were only for right now. _Blowing off steam. That’s the point. This was a good idea._ Janae leaned into her.  They giggled their way to the back staircase to the Nexus dock apartments.

The moment they were hidden behind the stairwell door, Janae was on her.

Tongue in her mouth, forcing a knee between Cora’s legs to grind on her thigh. Cora gipped her ass and rocked her hips against Janae’s—she was throbbing to the point of getting frustrated, and this wasn’t going to do much for her through the thick material of her initiative khakis. “Second floor?” Cora broke to ask.

“Third—” Janae landed a firm grab on her ass cheek.

“Oh!-Janae.”

“What? You have a nice butt.”

“You’re sweet.”

The two snorted with laughter, making it up a second landing. Janae caught her by the belt loop, going for another kiss. Cora’s hair definitely lost its part this time when Janae raked her hands through, “Is this…trashy?” Janae asked then they broke, a smile in her voice.

“Making out in the stairwell?”

“Yeah. It is a little, right?”

Cora brushed her hands beneath Janae’s shirt, the warm softness of her belly scales, “Maybe a little. Oh, shit. Are there cameras?” They separated and looked up. The camera was clearly disconnected, wires dangling from the ceiling.

 “Jeez, our security is crap.” Janae muttered.

“Yeah. That should really get fixed.” But that was neither Cora’s job nor problem, at least not at this moment. She could email Kandros about it in the morning. Janae had her fingers down Cora’s waistband, her own hand over Janae’s chest, “So where’s your place?”

 “This way.” Her fingers gripping Cora’s ass overtop her panties. Was she wearing cute underwear? A sudden desperate thought. Maybe she was wearing the blue ones. The Initiative sport bra wasn’t too pretty, but she thought she was wearing the nice blue lace bottoms—“You okay?” Janae was smiling at her, hand still down Cora’s pants.

“Yes. Sorry.”

“You look distracted.”

“Just was thinking.”

“Yeah?” Janae sounded curious, taking the break between them to punch in the key code to open her door.

“Um…yeah.”

Janae smiled white teeth at her. She was Cora’s height, easily able to nuzzle her cheek, “About?” She closed the door. This time Cora backed her into the apartment. A studio—dim lights lining along the door came on automatically, casting a faint glow through the room.

 _What the hell, right?_ “Whether or not I’m….’dressed to impress’.”

“You look fine.”

“…Thanks.”

Janae tugged her arm, “Well…uh…Shall we?”

And they laughed, “Yeah. Ready when you are.” Cora was more than willing to sit down the bed. Svelte and flexible as ever, Janae swung her leg over Cora’s, straddling her lap, “So…How do we do this…are we?”

“Just physical?” Janae checked.

“Yeah. Did you…want to…have to meld? Can you without…melding?” Cora was fairly certain from her time spent with asari that melding tended to be more intimate than what they were doing, and had always been off limits to Cora.

“No. We don’t need to meld. Jeez, you should know that.” Her voice wasn’t unkind.

Cora ran her hands up her thighs, to her ass and over her back, shoving her shirt up, “Just checking. Want you to get what you need too.” Janae helped get her own shirt off.

“Oh, I will. Physical is fine.”         

Cora traced her fingers lightly up the line down the middle of Janae’s abs, relishing in her gasping and leaning her head back, grip tightening on the human woman’s shoulders to steady herself. Cora unclipped Janae’s bra and pulled it free over her arms.

She might not have been with an asari, or a woman in general, but Janae’s anatomy was similar enough to her own that it wasn’t hard to figure out. Cora traced her hands up, skin pale against Janae’s deep blue in their limited light. She brushed lightly over her nipples, Janae held tighter, “Be rougher, I won’t break.” Janae muttered, tongue flicking over Cora’s earlobe.

Cora obliged her, pinching down on Janae’s nipples. “Better?” She leaned into her hands, letting Cora play with her chest, kneading and pinching.

“Better.” She sighed.                    

Janae moved suddenly to shove her by the shoulders, pushing her back on the bed. “Ah!” Cora scooted herself up the mattress to stop her legs from dangling off. Janae came with her, sitting down on her hips as she straddled her. Her weight made Cora throb harder, and she was surprisingly aggressive—going for Cora’s shirt and nearly ripping it at the force with which she yanked it over her head.

A few moments of maneuvering as Cora pulled off the tight spandex of her sport bra, letting it fall to the floor beside the mattress, “Like it rough?”

Janae grabbed her chest hard as she asked, nipples squeezed against her thumbs and forefingers, “Huh? Ah.” Cora closed her eyes.

“That a yes?” The asari smirked down at her, “I can be easier on you.”

“Don’t you freakin’ dare.” Cora went for the fastener on Janae’s pants, “Get these off.”

Janae made another excited noise, rolling off Cora to yank her pants and boots off. She took her opportunity, sitting up and leaning over Janae. The room was dark, but Cora could tell enough by feel. It was true: asari were incredibly similar to humans. “Mhmm, I’d say you’d done this before, Harper.” She closed her eyes and tipped her head back. Cora gently pressed her fingers up and down Janae’s slit.

The dryness was a difference—but expected as asari hadn’t evolved for penetration, “My parts are similar.” Cora muttered, not realizing how stupid it might have sounded until Janae was laughing at her again. Cora laughed with her.

“I’m…uh.” She searched with her fingers. Janae had multiple labia, soft and velvety against the pads of Cora’s fingers, but incidentally made it difficult to find her clit. Asari didn’t technically call it a ‘clit’ but Cora couldn’t remember the word they’d use when her unit was talking about these things and that was an extranet search for another time. Same principle, though.

“Up, a little more.”

Cora focused her efforts, fingers coming to Janae’s opening. She gasped at that, but took Cora’s wrist, gently guiding her up to a soft lump, flatter than a human’s, “Like that?” Cora circled her middle and forefinger around the spot. Janae tightened her grip on Cora’s wrist, arching her back and moaning.                                                       

“Just like that.” She breathed, free hand coming to her own chest while Cora worked her, “Just like that—press harder. I won’t break.” She pushed far harder than would be comfortable upon her own body, weight against Janae who moaned out her name loudly.

Cora chewed her lip, careful to keep tight circles with her fingers, increasing the pressure, “Keep going.” She panted, head tossed back.

“I am.”

Janae bucked her hips, making Cora temporarily loose her spot, but now that she knew what she was looking for regaining her movements wasn’t difficult. Janae trembled, Cora gripped her hip with her free hand, steadying her.

“Don’t stop.” Janae moaned. She leaned down, pressing a kiss on Janae’s chest, dragging her teeth up the side of her breast.

“I won’t.” Cora muttered against her skin, replacing teeth with her lips, sucking lightly.

Janae’s thighs pinched down on her hand, she groaned and arched up as she finished beneath Cora’s fingers. A few moments of trembling and catching her breath: “Not bad your first go.” Janae leaned back, “Actually really good.” Cora withdrew her hand, Janae propped up on her elbows, “Lay down. And why are your pants on? How am I supposed to do you like that?”

Cora scrambled to pull off the rest of her own clothing, panties sticking to her from her wetness. She leaned back on Janae’s mattress, “We are…different. I get…wet…sorry if that’s…weird—”

“Oh, shh. It’s not.” Janae pressed her middle finger into Cora. She gripped the blankets and exhaled while Janae started pumping her finger in and out.

“Mmmhh.”

“Harder?”

“Yes.” Cora croaked, widening her thighs, “Please.” Janae slipped a second finger inside.

It had been a while. Cora shut her eyes, clenching her muscles around Janae’s fingers.  Her free hand went to Cora’s clit, expertly dragging up wetness and rubbing in steady horizontal strokes. No— she was not Janae’s first human. And she was completely fine with that.

Cora whimpered, Janae’s thrusts were steady. Painfully slow, but the strength behind each nearly had Cora yelping. Fuck, she could do this a while, thinking about nothing more than Janae’s movements. She rolled her hips again to meet Janae’s fingers, “You feel like you’re getting close.”

“I am….faster?”

“Yes, ma’am.” Her friend purred, picking up the pace.

Cora clenched down on her fingers. It took a moment for them to work into their new rhythm. Janae thrusting her fingers and Cora bucking up to meet her pace. Legs trembled and toes curled. Cora shattered with a gasp when Janae pushed a third finger into her.

She kept her fingers inside Cora, letting her ride out the last sparks of her orgasm. Janae gave her a kiss on the belly and flopped down on her back by Cora’s side. Both stared at the ceiling, catching their breaths. “That was a good idea.” Cora mused.

“Yeah. It was.” Janae stretched arms above her head, cheek tipped against Cora’s shoulder. Was this the part where they put their clothes back on and pretended this foray never happened? But she was comfortable, and it seemed Janae was too.

The electrical systems of the _Nexus_ hummed softly, lulling Cora deeper into relaxation.

“You want…to stay here tonight?”

“Will it… bother you?” Cora chose her words carefully.

“We’ve slept in the same bed before.”

 _And the same sleeping bag._ But she didn’t say that. You did what you had to do to stay warm on missions, “We have.” She sat up slowly, spine popping. Floor cold beneath her bare feet.

“Want to borrow nightclothes or stay naked?” Janae stood, casting a sideways smirk while crossing the room and pressing the button to eject a drawer from her wall. She dug through, finding and stepping into a pair of sweatpants for herself. She tossed Cora a pair of shorts, who thanked her and tugged them on.

Janae yanked the blankets back and flopped down on the bed, Cora sat down slowly, leaning back onto the pillows. She stayed awake, in a haze of dopamine, staring at the ceiling while Janae’s breathing became the steady way it did when she slept. Cora touched her friend’s hand lightly as she turned on her side, curling up and closing her eyes on her half of the bed.

___

Thanks for reading, friends  : ) Hope you all enjoyed. Might write more Cora/Janae drabbles. I know it’s graphically NOT canon but at the same time I don’t care.


	2. Spent

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> EDIT: Sorry for the formatting issue. It's fixed now.

Thanks to all my readers the last chapter. It became a drabble series.

Cora is my favorite these days so I wanted to write a fluff ball chapter for her. (Some minor book spoilers ahead).

This needs proofreading but …sorry I just kind of posted it.

\--

She was tired. Remnants of her biotic charges tingled at her fingertips, body felt as though a jolt of electricity went through her. A soft, unpleasant quivering in her muscles. Dull ache spreading from the back of her head to the bottoms of her feet. The field rippled and dimmed around her. A strange mirage kicking up powder snow.

              _Never again._ She’d said that after SAM-E enhanced her abilities, too. But the architect had been going after an asari crew. She had to hold the barrier. She’d sent the charge which peeled back the armor, letting Ryder and Liam’s gunshots damage the remnant beast.

              She’d been tired already then, but hadn’t expected it to turn back on the crew of scientists. Her second barrier only held long enough for Ryder and Liam to finish the job, but that had been a relatively long time and a large field. A faint ringing in her ears, eyes blurred as she stared at the brilliant green lights in the Voeld sky, over the tops of the mountains.  “She’s spent.” Ryder said, and Cora’s body ached in protest as familiar hands rolled her from her side onto her back, “Cor?”

              “I’m good…. Give me…. a…minute.” She was exhausted, struggling to catch her breath. The snow bank was soft. Exhaustion made it hard to move. The cold worming through the seams in her armor was tolerable for now. Soothing on her burning body.

              Face ached from the cold.

              Cora needed a few minutes to rest her eyes.

              “Occupational hazard for biotics.” There was a chuckle in Liam’s voice. Cora didn’t find it funny, but she was too tired to quip anything back, “Nice work.” He clasped on her shoulder. Her muscles spasmed as he did.

              “Think you can sit up?”

              “Huh?”

              “Is that another architect?”

              “Huh?”

              “It better not be.” Liam whirled around.

              “I don’t know, I don’t like that sound.” Ryder said. It was hard to keep up with who said what, “Cora?”

              She tried to open her eyes but the world was far away. A vague memory of a whine of displeasure at Liam lifting her up, “Fluids, rest, calories.” He was saying—she knew that much. The holy trinity when you had biotics.

              “Fast! We need to get out of here, Liam!”

              “You think it’s another one?” Liam twisted as he held her. Cora roused enough to swing one arm up and grasp his shoulder, accidently hitting his chin at first, “Watch it there. You’re okay. Got you.”

              “And warmth.” Ryder said, “She’s freezing.” Cold fingers on her cheek, “Get her in the Nomad.”

              “It’s Voeld.”

              Cora tried her best to help Liam and Ryder as they stuffed her into the back seat, but managed only to flail her limbs, “Can you drive, Liam?” That was Ryder, who caught one of Cora’s hands as she tried to lift her arm.

              The sound of the door slamming. Ryder removed Cora’s damaged helmet, “It’s okay, it’s okay. We’re in the _Nomad.”_  The Pathfinder murmured to her, “Keep breathing, Cora. Isn’t that a thing that happens to biotics? They get so tired they don’t breathe?”

              Cora groaned. “Well, sounds like she’s breathing.” Liam added, “Cora?”

              She was somewhere between sleep and wakefulness, too tired to speak, focusing only on drawing her breathes and starting to shiver. Goddess, being picked up off the ground like this was humiliating. But the exhaustion and cold overcame her. Cora shut her eyes and let the world slip away—she could do for a nap before reaching the outpost.

              Cora came to when she was sat in a chair, the sound of rushing water. She twitched her neck, managing to send a splash of water down her own back and startle herself to wakefulness. Eyes open, staring up at two concerned faces—Ryder and Janae. Janae had been working at the outpost, doing something or other which Cora couldn’t think of in the moment. They had her head leaned back into a sink, “What did you do, Cora?” Janae’s soft hands on her shoulders, “Lean back, you’re full of soot.”

              “…hel…helmet?” She managed between shivers, drawing one leg up. The movement was awkward with her pained muscles. Cora flinched and threw herself off balance, going over sideways until arms caught her.

              “I hate trust falls, Cora, getyoubackup’ere.” Ryder was tiny but scrappy and Cora was thankful for that as she was shoved back onto the chair.

              “The face shield shattered when the architect smashed through your barrier. Lean back.” Janae ordered her.

              Cora raised her hand up and gripped Janae’s jacket as to steady herself while she brought the back of her neck against the edge of the sink, eyes closed. Her neck cramped. Time for another nap.  

              Hard knuckles on her sternum, “Ow. Stop.” Cora moaned.

              “Keep breathing.”

              She heaved a dramatic breath to show Janae that she was indeed breathing, too tired to keep her eyes open.

“Have you washed hair before? Jeez, architect guts are nasty.” Ryder tugged at several strands of her hair. Cora flinched away from her.

              “Yes.” Janae said, “And I don’t think they have ‘guts’.”

              “You sure?”

              “Yes, Pathfinder. It’s not that hard.”

              “You still breathing, Cora?”

              “Yes.” Another dramatic breath for Ryder this time.

              “She’s okay. Just don’t let her fall.” Cora kept her grip on the soft fleece of Janae’s coat. Her fingers worked over her hair, hosing her head off with warm water from the nozzle of the sink. Cora turned her head away when Janae went for her face, cringing while she wiped around her eyes with one of the cheap, rough initiative cloths, “Sorry, Cor. You have soot in your eyes.”

              She ended up leaned forward, into Janae’s stomach while Ryder toweled off her head.

“Lexi. Finally.”

“Cora? Drink this.”

              Janae helped her find the straw. A sweet, medicine tasting slurry of sugars, proteins and electrolytes with which she was plenty familiar. _Occupational hazard of being a biotic._ Cora forced down a sip, raising her hand up to take the foam cup from Janae, “You should be fine. Need to take it easy on yourself so your muscles can heal.” Lexi touched her shoulder, “Make sure she gets fluids.”   

              “Cora, that’s my nice flannel, don’t spill that crap on it.” Janae’s hands flew to hers. She hadn’t realized she’d tipped the cup sideways until Janae straightened it. Cora blinked and looked down at herself. She wore Janae’s plaid shirt and Ryder’s pants. Actually they were her own sweatpants, but Ryder had barrowed and not returned them two months ago. Some half of her mind hoped they hadn’t cut her under suit to get it off of her—it was her new one.

              “You need to get it in your mouth not on the floor.” Ryder said.  

              Another swig from the straw. Thick as syrup, horribly sugary. Artificial fruit flavoring tingling across the roof of her mouth. Nonetheless, she swore she felt the sugar nourishing every cell in her body, easier to open her eyes. Cora drew her limbs close to her body to combat the chill in the air.

              “Let’s get her on the bed before she hits the floor.” Janae said, “Think we can lift her?”

              “Yeah, we can lift her.”

              “I’ll get her head.”

              “I’ll walk.” Cora protested weakly.

              “Get Vetra?”

              “We can get her to that cot.” Cora was glad Janae spoke up there, sparing her more embarrassment of having to be carried by Vetra. Though this was bad enough, the two of them awkwardly pulling her off the chair and carrying her between them.

“Put…me down…”  They plopped her upon a cheap mattress.

“You’re a fall risk.” Ryder informed her.

“That’s a thing?” Janae snorted.

“According to Lexi.”

Cora would have had some choice snark for Ryder if she wasn’t so damn tired.

              Instead she sighed, curling on her side and pulling the blanket partially over herself, “Never again.” She said. Not sure she was talking about being carried or expending herself to this extent.

              “You’ll feel better in the morning.”

              “Goodnight, you two.” That was Ryder. The overhead lights went dark.

              “Now move over.” Janae gripped her under the arms again, dragging her to the other side of the mattress. She was more alert now, probably able to move herself, but somehow Janae’s manhandling didn’t phase her the way Ryder’s did. Her lithe friend climbed over top of her to get on her other side, settling herself gracefully down, “You don’t get to hog my bed like last time.”

              “I didn’t.”

              Janae giggled, Cora found herself smiling, “You need sleep.” Janae’s hand to her cheek, “Sleep.”

              Cora reached up to move her bangs which stuck in the corner of her eye, “Janae. There’s soap in my hair.”

              “Yeah, well it’s better than that remnant oil crap—whatever was in that thing—getting on my pillows.” Janae nuzzled against her cheek, “You’ll have to show me how to do it sometime.”

              “Wash hair?” She yawned.

              “Yes. Sleep now.” Her friend ordered her, and Cora didn’t have to be told twice, letting her head tip into Janae’s chest as the woman pulled her in. Soft lips grazed her forehead, “Sweet dreams.”

              “Sweet dreams.” Cora murmured back to her.

__

              Don’t worry they’re ‘just friends’. ; ) LOL thanks for reading everyone.

Hope y’all enjoyed.

 


	3. Interruptions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Janae and Cora enjoy Ryder's fancy hotel room.

ANNNnNNNND we’re back to the smut. (Guys, I watched Netflix horror and consumed wine while writing this so just let it happen…)

This is connected to the most recent Eos Nuggets chapter. Basically what Cora was up to while Vetra and Ryder were riding their struggle bus.

NSFW 18+  

Enjoy, my friends <3 It's one of these chapters that i've been staring at way too long and need to post it. 

____

 

              Cora let herself sink into the tub, warm water on tired muscles. _Mmm._ She leaned her head back, submerging herself to her chin. The dampness of the steam clung to her face, some asari therapeutic salt supposed to smell like roses which she’d dissolved into the water.

              She’d traded Vetra a box of Blast-Ohs for the packet of bath salt. This hotel room with the tub was technically Ryder’s, but Ryder had loaned it to her for the night. One of the rare pleasant things which had sprung up in Andromeda—the Nexus _did_ try and take care of their own sometimes. This was one of the handful of inn rooms available at the Kadara outpost— _Kadara of all places._

              With the sulfur problem solved the planet had plenty of water for bathing. Cora ran it as hot as she could stand. _Sweat out your worries._ Or at least rest her sore muscles. Access to a tub notwithstanding, Andromeda didn’t allow much time for rest in general.

              She curled her knees up to her chest, adjusting herself into a more comfortable position beneath the water. Eyes closed, inhaling the steam. Maybe it would ease her worries, just a bit. _Clear your mind. Visualize a candle. A flame. A lantern._ Sarissa’s voice rang in her mind, _slip to the realm of peace. The Goddess realm._

              Cora counted backwards from four with each inhale and exhale, visualizing the gentle flickering flame of a candle. She was well practiced at this, already settling into the stillness of her mind. Her breaths echoed around her, and her anxiety left her for these moments, resting her brain, recharging her biotics.

              A pounding on the bathroom door startled her from her meditation, _“Cor! It’s me!”_ That was Janae, _“I have dinner!”_

              Janae was working a job at the port. What exactly the commando unit was doing these days, Cora didn’t know. She wasn’t a part of their group anymore and therefore no longer privileged to the information. But Janae told her enough that she could formulate some vague ideas. She’d loaned her the hotel key to pick them up dinner (a café had sprung up at Kadara port, and Janae had a shuttle at her disposal).

              “Come in.” It wasn’t like Janae hadn’t seen her before. She didn’t care. Especially not if there was decent food involved.

              “Looks like you’re having fun.” Janae’s smirk became a grin. She dropped a food container on the table set beside the tub, and Cora was more than willing to take her arm out and grip it. Meditation could wait—she was starving. Ramen, she assumed based on the smell (that and the fact there weren’t many options for food vendors to serve here), but Cora never minded ramen.

              “You’re wonderful, Janae.” She meant it, tearing open the top of the container and fumbling for the plastic fork.

              Janae sat down on the edge of the tub and laughed, holding her own takeout box. Janae leaned in. Cora became painfully aware of the beating of her own heart, the sweat on her face from the steam. The asari pressed her lips to her wet cheek, and Cora found herself leaning into the kiss—happy to close her eyes and let Janae nuzzle against her, “What are we doing? I thought you were just getting me dinner.” But Cora almost never received attention like this, thus she was content to let Janae ruffle her wet hair.

              “Just got you dinner.” Janae sat on the edge of the tub, “Owe you one for finding that necklace I lost.”

              Cora shook her head, “You know that’s not what I meant.” Janae huffed, leaning down and this time Cora kissed her on the lips. _What the hell, right?_

              “Do we have to label it?”

              “I was thinking it was a one time thing.” Cora said, but quickly added, “Not that…I liked it….I would do it again. I just…what are we doing?”

              “And again— I ask if we have to know.” Janae flipped open her box.

              Cora reached out of the tub, gripping Janae’s knee, “I want to know. Are we fuck buddies or are we… ‘a thing’?”

              “We’re friends…good friends. Who help each other out.”

              “Is that what?” Because she distinctly remembered Janae humming to her and kissing her head a few weeks prior when she’d thought Cora was sleeping. Though, Cora couldn’t hide the amusement in her voice. Janae was easy to talk to—that was why they’d always been close, “Janae.”

              Janae looked down—perhaps the first time she’d ever sensed bashfulness in her. She was an asari after all, a few centuries more of life experience tended to make her species quite unflappable, at least compared to humans, “I like you, Cora. I always have.”

              The heat in her face this time wasn’t only from the water she soaked in. Cora, not normally upset by lack of clothing, suddenly found herself glad the room was dim, distinctly aware of Janae’s tall, athletic form beside her.  The occasional flicker of Janae’s eyes up and down her body beneath the bubbles.

              Cora squeezed her leg. The ball was in her court now and she had to say something, “I like you too.” She stared at the water, the reflection of the orange nightlight in its surface.

              Janae grinned and gripped Cora’s face with two smooth hands, cupping her beneath the chin to pull her into another kiss. She smiled against Janae’s lips, feeling like a teenage girl again, fresh into the Alliance and having her first crushes that became more than solo thoughts while she fell asleep.

              The two giggled a bit, they always did, “Want me to wash your hair better this time?”

“You don’t need to wash my hair.” Cora found herself quickly saying. She was Cora—self sufficient, independent, able to go alone into asari space and find her way—people doting on her simply wasn’t a fact of her life.

“Please?” But Janae already had the shampoo bar in her hand. And Janae was hard to say ‘no’ to, “When was the last time you had physical contact? Humans need that the way asari do, don’t they?”

Cora didn’t say anything, merely tilted her head into Janae’s hands.

She used too much shampoo, but Cora didn’t complain. Janae set the bar down and used both hands to lather up the soap, fingernails raking gently over Cora’s scalp. Head tilted back. Janae’s hands were slow, rubbing behind her ears and murmuring, “Lean back.” Soft breath against her neck.

Cora’s awkwardness turned to enjoyment. Janae was right about these things sometimes, and when the asari slid her hands down to Cora’s neck, something tugged in her belly and between her legs. Slippery, over-shampooed hands rubbed down her shoulders and up her neck, back to her hair, “Lean back. Dip your head in.”  

She did what she was told, rinsing her hair as best as she could in the already soapy bathwater. Janae played with the longer segments, pushing them back and then to the side, arranging Cora’s fauxhawk in both directions, “Having fun?” She laughed when Janae pushed her bangs forward, over her eyes.

“I am.” She flipped her hair the opposite way of the cowlick on her forehead and Cora tilted her chin into her chest, letting the wet strands fall back to the more comfortable direction where they wanted to lay. Janae’s hands left her hair, sliding between her shoulder blades and making the same something tug in Cora’s belly. Surely they could find some time to themselves here for even more physical contact, but right now she thoroughly enjoyed what Janae was doing.

She leaned close, chin rested on Cora’s wet shoulder.  Cora tipped her cheek against the side of Janae’s head, a soft kiss pressed to her wet skin, “Now…You going to let me in there with you?”

              Cora chewed her lip, “Maybe if you ask nicely.”

              “I did bring you dinner.” Janae shrugged off her jacket, and then stepped out of her boots.

              Cora leaned back to watch her scramble out of her clothes, almost falling down as she struggled to get her pants off with the humidity in the room. Cora drew her leg up. Janae stepped over the side. Pretty blue skin in the dim lighting. Tall and svelte and trying to join _Cora_ in her bathtub.

              She reached her hands up for Janae to take and steady herself.

              “That’s it.” Cora muttered, “Get in here.”

              She spread her knees to give Janae more space in the tub, and the woman leaned over Cora, putting her hands on the sides of her hips and pressing their foreheads together. Cora wiggled herself down further, wrapping an arm around Janae’s shoulders. Her other hand on Janae’s back and then to her bottom.

              Cora squeezed and relished in the gasp Janae made.

              “Already getting grabby?”

              “You did climb in a bathtub with me.”

              “And you haven’t gotten laid in a few weeks?” Janae sounded amused.

              “No. I haven’t. Considering you’re the only one I’ve slept with since I’ve been here.” Cora turned her head and sucked a kiss onto Janae’s throat. She responded with a gasp and leaned hard into Cora’s lips.

              “It’s been a few weeks for me too.”

              “So you don’t have another girlfriend?”

              “I don’t.” That statement made Cora far happier than maybe it should have. Not that they’d ever established exclusivity, nor that she minded not establishing that with their first ‘encounter’. But in a way it was flattering—that Janae also maybe found her one of the rare worthy suitors in Andromeda, “And besides, I tell you everything, Cor.” Cora brought her hands to the front Janae’s pelvis. The woman twitched against Cora’s fingertips.

              They kissed on the lips, Cora pulled her knees up further and brought her fingertips down to brush over Janae’s sensitive spot. She gasped and Cora rubbed gently, in a circle, humming against Janae’s lips.

              “Too soon?”

              “No, fuck. Keep going. I was thinking about this on the way over.”

              Cora giggled, “Really? Lucky you. Finding me in this compromised position.” She pushed a bit harder with her fingertips to punctuate the end of her sentence.

              “Ah-fuck. Think you’re…” Cora rubbed a bit harder and Janae made a yelping noise. She dropped her head down to nuzzle into Cora’s shoulder, moaning as she did so, “I think you’re the one taking advantage of me.”

              “Am I?” Cora pressed a bit harder.

              “Oh, yes, don’t stop.”

              “If I’m taking advantage I can stop.” Cora teased, removing her fingers for a second.

              “Don’t you fucking dare, Lieutenant.”

              And for some reason that did it for her. Janae could call her ‘Lieutenant’ all day and get whatever she wanted. The pulling in Cora’s belly became nearly painful heat between her thighs. “Yes, ma’am.” She kept pressing against Janae.  Circling her fingers, Janae pressing her face hard into her shoulder, teeth against her collar bone. Cora moved her other hand to the back of Janae’s head, rubbing the soft skin behind her fringe.

              “Cora…” Janae twitched against her and then rolled her hips, body trembling.

              _Not too different than a human._

“Almost there?” She muttered, “Come on.”

              Janae’s trembles were punctuated with a hard roll of her hips. She sighed and her body went limp, suddenly leaning heavily on Cora who held her close and kissed her head while she came down.

              “You’re good at that.” Janae muttered, and Cora let herself have pride at that statement.

              Janae pushed herself off of Cora, slipping on the bottom of the tub and landing against the other side on top of Cora’s foot, sending a gush of water onto the floor “Ow-fuck.”

 “You okay?” Cora asked quickly.

“Yes. Now get over here.” Cora shifted, but the way they were wedged in a tub nowhere big enough to have two people didn’t make for easy movement, “Now should I take advantage of you in this compromising position?” Janae purred at her.

“A huntress always takes advantage right?” Cora grimaced as Janae’s fingers pressed between her legs, edging on too rough.

“I’m glad this is how you’re applying Sarissa’s teachings.”

“I can’t believe I said that.” Cora was laughing, “Just…fuck…Janae.”

“Are you trying to ask me to fuck you, Lieutenant?” Two fingers thrusted harshly into her. Cora rolled her hips and yelped.

“Yes, ma’am.” She moaned, gripping the edges of the tub to brace herself. Janae curled her fingertips and dragged them across Cora’s front wall. She hissed through her teeth in a mix of pain and enjoyment.

              Cora’s omnitool pinged from its spot on the counter. Janae glanced at it. They both stopped their actions and Janae left her fingers in place, “It’s the Pathfinder. Should I let you take it?”

              “She’s at an Initiative meeting.” Cora told her, “She’ll call again if it’s an emergency.”

              “Good. So we can get back to it?” Cora nodded and pressed her lips against Janae’s, tongue against hers for a moment. Janae thrusted her fingers again, but Cora had acclimated to the motion and it was only pleasant.

              “Ah…Yes.”

              “Good?”

              “Yes. Don’t stop.” Cora brought one of her hands down to her own clit, rubbing in time with Janae’s thrusts. She clenched her muscles and tried to will herself to relax, she was right on the edge, all she had to do was relax and she’d finish. Cora focused on slowing her breathing, focusing on every move Janae made—

              And her omni-tool pinged again. _Shit._

              Janae leaned back to reach it, fingers still inside Cora. Cora took the device from Janae, “Pathfinder?” She asked, swiping the option to answer the voice-call.

              _“Hey…Cora….I need….Favor.”_ The sound of wind rushing past the receiver and the familiar crackling of bad reception. That was normal on Kadara.

“Favor? A what? Ryder, are you okay? _”_ Janae eyed her while she was speaking.

              _“A FAVOR!”_ Ryder’s voice, shouting over the wind. _Sara, you better be nearly dead, I swear._

              “Yeah…but…is it an emergency?” Cora asked, “I’m a little…busy right now.” She swore there was mischief in Janae’s eyes as she said it. Another thrust of her fingers had Cora gasp and then blush as deeply as if Ryder could somehow know exactly what they were doing through the phone, “Are you okay?”

 _“Harper?”_ _Oh crap_ , that was Vetra. Janae withdrew and sat back in the tub. Maybe sensing that this could be a bit more serious. Nonetheless, her brow cocked up in amusement, _“I’ll get…Jack Daniels—”_

The line cut out. _No. Maybe not serious. Ryder’s being Ryder._  “What are you talking about?”

“Can you hear me?” Ryder half-shouted again.

“Yes. Sort of.” And then Janae was laughing. Cora made a throat-cutting motion on her own neck, trying to quiet her. She stifled the giggles into her hand.

              _“Who are you with? Are you on speaker?”_ Ryder demanded. And Janae gave Cora a silent, wide-eyed look.

              “No.” She lied,  LHold on. What’s going on?” Cora was fairly certain that this didn’t sound like an emergency, especially since Ryder was calling on her personal line.

              _“So I locked myself out of the Nomad and…underwear…I have… no underwear….”_  Static and wind out competed Ryder’s voice.

              Janae looked just as confused as Cora felt. She was shaking her head and squinting. _Yes. This is what I put up with._ “Underwear? Don’t you have a bag here? Can you get another pair?”

              A few moments of garbled words before the signal cut out again. The telltale beep of their call being dropped.

              “What the hell was that?”

              “Who knows. I’m just the XO and I’m on shore leave.” Cora decided after a moment. Ryder could handle herself and her own lack of panties from whatever the hell she and Vetra were just doing where that became an issue. Cora frankly wasn’t sure she wanted to know.

              Janae reached her hands out and cupped Cora’s chin again. She kissed her cheek, “That’s fair. Boundaries.”

              “Boundaries.” She repeated, already turning her hips up to meet Janae’s fingers. Within a few moments they found their rhythm again, Janae thrusting in time with Cora circling her fingers on her own clit.

              She felt herself coming undone, then clenched down hard on Janae’s fingers and a jolt went through her body. The sensations crashed down on her, ending with her hips twitching and breaths coming in short gasps.

              Janae arranged herself so she rested against Cora, curled with their chests pressed together beneath the warm water which had lost its foamy bubbles in light of their recent activities. They were silent, enjoying the nearness of one another, chests rising and falling with alternating breathing, “Comfy?” Janae asked.

              “Yeah.” Cora rested against the tub, “Really nice.” She could stay like this for a minute. Her eyes were getting heavy and her body was sore and tired. A few moments like this, they didn’t have anywhere to be.

              “We should do this more.” Janae murmured.

              “I agree.” 

              She found herself drifting in and out of sleep, lightly running her hand up and down Janae’s back.

              _“CORA!”_ She was startled awake by a pounding on the door.

              “Oh, fuck.” Janae’s statement perfectly summed up all of Cora’s feelings about the situation.

              “Ryder.”

              “I locked the door chain.” Janae spoke quickly. She practically levitated out of the tub and wrapped herself in one of the neatly folded hotel towels. Cora’s exit was far less graceful, splashing water and nearly slipping on the wet floor, “COMING!” She yelled back, in the general direction of the entrance door to their room.

              A blue robe hung on the door handle. She hadn’t the foresight to carry a change of clothes into the bathroom with her so Ryder’s robe would have to do.

              Cora crammed her wet arms into the sleeves and wrapped it around herself, tugging the knot closed and mouthing an apology to Janae as she slipped out the bathroom.

              Ryder stood at the door, nearly wrenching the security chain off the wall with the force behind her pounding, “Ryder, have you heard of knocking? Aren’t you in a meeting? Jeez?” Ryder’s bare feet were filthy and she held down the skirt of her sundress. Her hair was out of its ponytail and in a windblown swirl around her head. Out of the corner of Cora’s eye she saw Janae peeking out of the bathroom.

“This is my room!” The Pathfinder protested. Okay, fair. Ryder had a very valid point there.

 “What happened to you?” Cora looked her up and down, and within a moment, Director Addison stepped from behind the door frame. Her lips were pressed into a scowl, body rigid with anger. _Shit? Was there an emergency?_ But they hadn’t called the emergency line.

“D-director. My apologies.” Cora stuttered. Janae promptly spun on her heel and slammed the bathroom door. The heat crept back into Cora’s face, throbbing in her neck and cheeks.

              Within a few moments it was apparent that Addison was more upset with Ryder than anything, apparently for being late to a meeting because she’d somehow lost her shoes and underwear.

              Cora still found herself stuttering like an idiot when Addison requested her presence as well to go over reports, before turning around and back down the hallway with a final request for the two women to meet her in the conference room.          

               Ryder seemed completely oblivious to Cora, who desperately tried to will her blushing away. She was talking about how she somehow managed to lock one of her shoes and her underwear in the Nomad and somehow had flashed Addison and that she really needed a shower.

              Cora, trying to wrap her spinning mind around suddenly having to present reports to Addison at a meeting, nodded along. _Questions for another day. One issue at a time. First being Janae in the bathroom._

              She and Janae weren’t exactly a secret, but being caught in the act of screwing around with her friend in Ryder’s hotel room was less than the image that Cora wanted to present for herself. “Can I get in the shower real quick?” Ryder pointed at the bathroom door with her thumb.

              Cora jumped when the bathroom door swung open. Janae, fully clothed and composed the way only an asari could be, stepped forward. “Sure. All yours. Thanks for letting me barrow it, Harper. I should probably get out of the way.”

              “Y-yeah. Janae, this is Ryder.” If she could get her idiotic stutter under control, that would be great.

              “Nice too meet you, Ryder, sorry to run.” She outstretched her hand and shook Ryder’s.

              “Uh. Hi. Sorry I’m a mess right now.” Ryder sidestepped around her, getting into the bathroom and closing the door.

              Cora heaved a sigh.

  _"And Cora! Give me that robe back!”_

\----

Thanks for reading! Sorry this took so long to put out!

And if you're wondering what Ryder was doing: check out ch11 of Eos Nuggets!


	4. First Aid Training

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ryder practices first aid skills on Cora. Janae is less than impressed by it.

Liam trains Ryder in first aid. Cora ends up as her subject.

Read: I have to take first responder classes for work and these things are usually just a bag of immature black humor lol.

**NOTE: They’re practicing first aid so there’s graphic talk about needles.**

**MORE EOS NUGGETS COMING SOON (to a galaxy near you).**

\--

              _“Hey, Cor_?” Ryder’s voice chimed over the intercom in her room, startling her from the blank stare at her paperwork she’d settled into. She blinked, pulling her focus away from rereading the same line she had been stuck on.

              _‘Upon landing’-no-not landing ‘arrival’. ‘Upon arrival on Elaaden we encountered…’_

              _Need more coffee._ She was tired. When the paperwork built up the shifts rolled together. Tann and Addison enjoyed their deadlines.

              Nonetheless, Cora rolled her chair to the intercom on the wall panel, “Pathfinder?”

              “ _Hey. Could you do Liam and I a favor?”_

              “Aren’t you in the middle of a practicum?” Liam was a first responder. He was training Ryder how to preform emergency field medicine beyond the basics of Alliance training— barrowing the medbay during Lexi’s off shift.

              _“Well. That’s why I need your help.”_

Cora glanced at the report which was the source of her current frustration, doubtful her tired eyes would be able to convince her brain to read past that very same line, “What can I help you with?”

              _“Hey Cora. Come down here.”_ That was Janae. They were dry docked at the Nexus, and Janae had been hanging out in the galley, she knew. Chatting with Lexi for a while earlier when Cora was still bogged beneath her stacks of reports for various members of the Nexus leadership.  

              _“Actually—I’m being totally honest. I’ll write an email to Addison that it was an emergency. You can have the next half of the shift off if you could uh…be my practice patient. And you’re WAY over hours, regardless. If you don’t come you have to go to bed.”_

              Cora yawned. She glanced at her stack of reports again and felt the headache from lack of sleep pounding behind her eyes, “What does it entail?”

              _“Nothin’. You lay on the bed. Ryder puts some leads on your chest.”_ Liam sounded like himself—relaxed, amused. Liam attempting to teach Ryder such a class was probably more the two of them distracting each other than anything else. _At least she didn’t lock herself out of the Nomad again._

              _“Spend the rest of your shift laying in a bed? Also Vetra said ‘no’ and so did Janae…and you’re my last option.”_

And that bit of information didn’t surprise Cora. She wasn’t particularly fond of the idea of having Ryder poke at her in the med bay herself, “What are you going to do to me?”

A pause, _“Liam, what are we going to do to her?”_

 _“You know you’re still pushing the intercom, right?”_ Janae still sounded amused, _“And that’s not a comfortable bed.”_

 _“Janae did say you’d be a good ….”_ Ryder continued. _“What is this called? ‘Practice patient’?”_

 _“Why are you telling her that?”_ The asari cried. Why was Janae even involved? But, Cora supposed that she wasn’t being very successful with her paperwork, “ _But hey…Maybe it would be good…fun?”_

“And you’re taking this class from Liam too?”

              Janae was quiet as if figuring out what she was going to say, “ _Sure. Mainly spectating.”_

              Cora smirked, “Okay. Coming.”

              _“Thank you!”_

              When she reached the door, Janae grinned at her. She was munching on a ration bar and had Lexi’s stool tilted to lean her back against the wall. She pointed to the bed, “I’ll be the hand-holder for when you shock her with those panels.” She pointed at the emergency defibrillator locked into its glass cabinet on the wall.

              “Excuse me?” Cora squinted at her.

              Liam held his hand out to Janae, “That is not a thing. And you wouldn’t want to be touching her _if we did._ Which—” He motioned to Cora, “We are not.”

              “It worked in _Blue’s Anatomy_.” Janae said.

              “I thought _Blue’s_ was super medically accurate.” Ryder was struggling with a pair of gloves.

              “Me too.” Janae shrugged.

              “So we’re for sure not, right?” Cora found herself laughing, sitting on the bed and leaning back stiffly. She propped herself on her elbows.

              Ryder was attempting to pull on a second sterile glove by blowing into it where it gathered around her wrist as to inflate it, “I actually don’t know what we’re doing.”

              “I’m so glad the woman who’s treating my moral wounds just said that.” Cora muttered.

              Janae reached her hand out, “Jeez, you’re tense.” She pressed her fingertips to Cora’s shoulders, “You have to lay back.”

              The pillow crunching under her head when she followed Janae’s directions made her scowl.

              “I don’t know. You seemed pretty keen on shocking me a second ago.”

“I mean I’m not opposed to any of this still. It’s just Liam who is.”

“Jee—why are you here?” But Cora was glad to wrap her fingers around Janae’s when she offered. To hell with Liam and Ryder thinking anything of it, and besides, they seemed more concerned with trying to get Ryder’s hand into the glove she just broke.

              “Okay. So you want to start with the ABC—airway, breathing, circulation.” Liam counted them off on his fingers. Ryder stood at her side. Three faces staring down at her made Cora uncomfortable, and she wiggled herself back up on to her elbows, “So you go ahead and approach her like we talked about—”

              “Hey. I have first aid training. I’m going to help you.” Ryder touched her lightly on her shoulder, “You’re mortally injured you just said so you should lay down.”

              Cora cocked a brow up and rested herself back on the crunchy pillow. The Pathfinder’s hand landed on her belly, “Ryder?”

              “Shh—I’m checking if you’re breathing.”

              Cora held her breath.

              “Should I give her mouth to mouth?” Janae said around a wad of bar in her cheek.

              Cora dramatically puffed up her stomach beneath Ryder’s hand.

              “She’s breathing.” Ryder proclaimed, her hand still rested on Cora’s belly.

              “Circulation next. How’s her color? Capillary refill?” Liam pressed.

              “She’s normal.”

              “Normal?” Liam stared Ryder down, “What does ‘normal’ mean?”

              “Peachish? She has fair skin, but it’s a fine color.”

“So I’m white?” Cora finished for Ryder, closing her eyes for a minute.

“She’s cured.” Janae commented.

“No, I’m dying.”

Ryder grabbed her hand and squeezed her fingernail, “Refill is normal.”

“This is kind of weird.” Cora commented.

“You okay?” Ryder withdrew.

“Let us know if you need us to stop.” Liam brushed her shoulder for a moment with his fingertips.       

“Trust me. I will.” She assured him, “But I appreciate it. I’m just going to tell you how weird this is.”

Cora rested her eyes and enjoyed the feeling of Janae rubbing a light circle on her shoulder while Ryder and Liam went on to talk about pressure bandages and concerns with injecting medi-gel into various parts of the body. She did her best to tune them out, “You look tired, Cora.” One of Janae’s hands came to her forehead, gently pushing her bangs back.

“I am tired.” She yawned and squeezed Janae’s hand in displeasure when Liam showed Ryder how to check her eye movements and pupil constriction with a pen light, “Are we done yet?”

“No, I have to bandage you  because we’re pretending like you’re bleeding out. Where do you want it?”

“Around my neck.” Cora joked.

Janae snorted, “Yes. Strangle her.”

Cora again ignored Ryder, talking quietly about nothing in particular with Janae while she offered out her arm for Liam to teach Ryder how to improvise a wrist splint and to place a pressure bandage.

“Ow, Ryder. That is way too tight.”

“You wouldn’t be saying that if you were bleeding out.”

“I don’t know actually.” Cora’s hand tingled, “That’s really tight. Ow. Ryder.”

“Okay. I’ll make it looser.”

“Don’t let me bleed out, though.” Cora stared at the ceiling tiles.

Ryder snorted, “I should have put it around your neck, Lieutenant.”

They finished. Cora admired the gauze around her forearm, picking at it with her other hand as despite it being loosened, it was still aggravatingly constricting, "These knots are tight.”

“Well, I was in the Alliance.”

Janae took her arm, working the knot with both hands, “I got ya.”

“Uh… actually uh…Do you feel comfortable with Ryder starting an IV?”

“A what?” Cora opened her eyes at that. So much for _relaxing_.  Janae sounded like she was about to wheeze with laughter, her grip loosened on the bandaging, “That is not funny.”

“Oh after watching her try to put her own gloves on, this is about to be hilarious.”

“Not for me!” Cora cried, trying not to laugh with Janae, “Why don’t you practice on yourself first, Ryder?”

“Already did.” Ryder yanked up her sleeve to show the squares of gauze taped onto her forearm.

“That was hilarious too I wished I filmed it.” Janae popped the rest of the bar in her mouth and went back to work at Cora’s bandages, “But honestly, you do a better job on Cora or else.”

“Is that a threat? You can be next.” Ryder muttered. She was already ripping an IV kit out of its sterile packaging.

“Are you okay? Feeling okay?” Liam touched her hand, “You can say no. Even though she’s your boss.”

Meanwhile Janae finally got her free of the pressure bandage. She returned her hands to Cora’s, patting her knuckles. And Cora smiled a little, not happy with the situation, but she found Janae’s gesture endearing. Nonetheless—“Oh, hell why didn’t you make Vetra do this?” She muttered while Ryder struggled to tie a tourniquet around her bicep.

“You sure you’re okay?” Ryder’s hands were shaking, “This is making me nervous.”

“Don’t say that in front of the patient.” Liam told her, “Now swab.”

“Of fuck, sorry Cora—” They both startled when Ryder touched the alcohol wipe to her arm.

“Ladies, it’s not even a needle yet.” Janae muttered, placing her other hand on Cora’s forehead.

“She has good veins.” Liam commented, “Turians are harder with how thick their skin is. Good practice to start on a human.”

Cora’s hand tingled from the tightness of the tourniquet, “Get it over with.”

“Sorry.” Ryder said again.

“Ryder.” Janae warned, “Get it the first time.”

“Okay…whew…here we go.”

Cora closed her eyes and clenched her fingers around Janae’s hand. She felt the prick, and then a continued pricking feeling, “Okay—ow, Ryder. Ow. That hurts—”

“You’re at the wrong angle.” Liam said. His hands joined Ryder’s on her forearm.

“Ow. Are you done?”

“No. Sorry—”

“Ryder.” Janae warned.

“I’m good.” Cora rolled her eyes up to stare at the ceiling tiles. Another prick— “Ryder?”

“Okay. Got it!” Ryder sounded like she let out her own breath that she’d been holding, “Now we take out the needle.” Cora heard something clatter onto a tray but didn’t look at it, “And leave the tube and tape that sucker down.”

Liam was saying something about flushing the line properly. Janae pushed back her hair, “You okay?”

“Yes. Ryder, I do not need that much tape on me.”

“I don’t want you to rip it out if you punch me.”

“Thanks for that bruise I’ll have in the morning.” Cora laughed, “Paperwork would have been so much better.”

“At least you’re laying down?” Liam tried.

“Can we be done now?”

“Oh so I have to take it out? Liam how do I take it out?” Ryder turned to him, wide-eyed.

“Ryder.” Cora closed her eyes.  

Janae patted Cora’s hand while Liam walked Ryder through the process again, this time it was much easier. Cora was glad to sit up as soon as the moment hit her, “Bed?” She asked Janae.

“Bed.” Janae repeated back at her.

“Oh, we have a cot for you set up in the crew quarters.” Ryder smiled, but Cora waived her off.

“We’re good.” Janae called over her shoulder.

“Okay.” Ryder said, “Did you want to go meet my brother later? Or are you guys good?”

“Trust me, Ryder.” Cora rubbed the sore spot on her arm, “We’re good.”

 

              Ryder is literally the most oblivious creature on the planet. Thanks for reading. Sorry if the ending feels a little rushed : )


	5. Janae's Jacket

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 5: Cora is having a rough night.

**Hey guys. This was a spur of the moment sad little chapter that I started working on while having an exciting day off of severe storm warnings while sitting at a local café.**

**Had planned to work on Eos Nugs but then this happened.**

**WARNING: PTSD is pretty obvious in this.**

**Enjoy**

**_**

**Chapter 5: Janae’s Jacket**

              Cora woke with a start, blinking several times before she realized where she was. Home. In her room. Her bed. A tingle of biotics on her fingertips.

              Deep, throbbing phantom memory from shoulder to wrist. The break had been excruciating but she didn’t remember the pain other than its existence. Only being dragged back to the shuttle. What she remembered was fragmented: the monsters, the shredded facility, waking up in the hospital. Cora rubbed her arm, willing movement back into her hand, catching her breath. _Not there. Never again. No more SAM-E. Safe._ Which lead her to the next order of business: when could she get up?

              Cora grabbed her omni-tool with a trembling hand and felt something in her chest sink painfully when she realized the time. Hardly two hours of sleep. The middle of the night cycle. Lexi pushed a few too many questions last night when Cora got up to read in the galley. As cold as the air in her room, the collar of her shirt was dampened with sweat.

              Heart throbbing, Cora forced herself to flop back on her pillow and look at her ceiling. _Grounding. Five things around you—blanket, pillow, other blanket, plants, omnitool. Four things to touch—_ her hand went to her damp shirt first.

              Then the pillow, and then her omnitool.

              _The elevator shaft. Cora couldn’t remember the sensation of taking the hit—just the breath knocked from her lungs. Being dragged by her broken arm. The civilians. The fear in their eyes. They needed her help. She’d gotten them out but would she be able to next time? It was so lucky. She should be dead right now after that ordeal.  SAM-E flooding her body with adrenaline. The monsters. The hits. They hit hard. She was probably going to get hit hard again in the future. Already had been. Had been lucky…too lucky. Soon she might not be, they might not be. She might mess up. Tomorrow morning if there were Kett—_

 _Touch._ She had to touch things.

              And not have Lexi ask her why she was up again. Not in the middle of the night, at least. They could have a real talk about it another time.

              She grabbed her omnitool. _Tired. You’re tired. You haven’t slept in days._ But sleep was unkind to her lately. Her heart pounded and somewhere in her brain screamed at her body to panic. To get up and run from danger that didn’t exist. Not here, at least.

              _Allergy meds._

              But they were in the medbay. Lexi would ask questions. And sleeping meant dreams.

              _Fuck._

She realized she had two unread texts. If Cora’s heart had slowed it was kicked back up.

              _Fuck._

And then her rational half caught up. They were on her personal inbox. They were from Janae.  

              She had to get herself together. And in her state it made Cora feel worse. Like she was somehow letting her sanity slip past her in these late-night hours and struggling to get it back. This wasn’t uncommon in their line of work—but still. Beyond frustrating. Normally her nightmares didn’t cluster together night after night like this. It had been a bad week.

              **Hey—goodnight. Thanks for the thermal clips.**

**Also. Are you on the Nexus soon? I have something for you to drop off that I left in my locker that you have the code to. The one next to the office. And a few chocolate bars for the trouble. If you can. Thx. <3\. **

Just Janae. No emergencies. Nothing she’d messed up.

              Cora curled around herself on the bed, back of her hand meeting an unfamiliar heavy fleece garment. _Crap._ Janae’s jacket. She’d barrowed it and taken it off when she laid down to sleep. Janae needed her jacket back. Cora shivered, grabbing the article and pulling it close to her.

              She opened her omni-tool.

              **Don’t mind. Thanks for the chocolate.**

Within seconds there was a ping.

              **Why are you up?**

Cora heaved a deep breath. That wasn’t a question she wanted to be asked. Not right now.

              **Can’t sleep.**

**…Cors.**

**Just can’t sleep. All good :)**

There was a few minutes of pause before Janae replied,

              **Okay. Are you okay?**

Cora decided to push it back at her instead: **Why aren’t you asleep?**

**On Kadara. It’s daylight here.**

Well that made it a little harder to reply. Cora envied Janae for being in daylight. Such a good excuse to not shut her eyes. _Maybe a cup of coffee. Or two. Just lay down until morning._

              But her muscles ached from exertion, a dull headache pounded behind her eyes. She was so tired she didn’t want to get up.      

              Janae replied again: **I’m off. I can text you until you fall asleep. And you can text me anytime.**

**Thanks. Appreciate it.**

Cora smiled a little. _Three. Three things you can hear. The mist on the plants and the hum of the electric and three—the ping._

              **Of course. So are you laying down?**

**Yeah. In bed. I’ll live. I have your jacket, BTWs.**

**Good. At least promise you’ll lay down tonight if you don’t sleep? I’ll get the jacket later. Next time I see you.**

Cora paused before replying. But begrudgingly typed out: **promise. Thanks.**

 _Two things you can smell._ The weird imitation floral scent of the standard issue lotion on her hands. And then, she turned over, inhaling deeply into the jacket. Cora wrapped her arms around it and pressed her face into it. Janae’s perfume. The sense memory of lying beside her the first night they’d been intimate was surprisingly comforting—enough to jar her from the spiral of frustration she’d worked herself into minutes before.  

              She settled herself into a daydream. If she couldn’t have good ones when she slept she figured she ought to make her own. _Janae curled beside her, playing with her hair, talking to her. Reading maybe. Cora never minded a good story. And Janae liked her hair. Not too far-fetched._

Something in Cora’s mind tugged, feeling guilty. She and Janae were just friends. Friends with benefits, sure. But this probably wasn’t something she should be fantasizing about. Despite the thought, the little fantasy was comforting. Cora held the jacket, pretending she was resting her ear upon Janae’s soft chest.

              Ping.

              **You sound tired, Cors. Even over text. Goodnight if you’re dozing:)**

**Goodnight. Thanks, Janae.**

Cora turned back, curling her body close to the jacket. Her fingers had stopped tingling, heart rate calming. She was comfortable. She might not be in a few hours with how the nightmares had been recent nights. But this daydream was working for her at the moment, and Cora took what she could get.

              _Janae playing with your hair. She would let you sleep on her if she was here. She’d wake you up if needed._ Damn, what Cora wouldn’t give to not be alone on this night. _What’s one again? Taste?_

She rubbed her lips together—the remnants of the cherry lip balm she put on before bed. 

              _‘Wish you were here, Janae.’_ Cora murmured to the jacket, knowing full well she didn’t have the balls to text it. Besides, she and Janae weren’t on that level. They were just friends. No need to overstep boundaries.

              Cora closed her eyes, pressing in a little closer to the piece of clothing, and let herself relax.

\----

**Thanks for reading guys. Poor Cora! I usually write these characters as so indestructible it was a nice change to get a little angsty and make her a human.** And Remember! Come flail with me on tumblr--Jkit45 


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